56 Comments - triplemstrategies - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 4:57 am: I would venture to say that abortion will be a topic that will be first as a way for the candidates to position themselves. Obey will attack Topinka but not openly. Direct mail to pro-life lists will be the method and publically Obey will talk jobs and the Illinois economy using his business background to boost his credibility. Brady has instant credibility on ther life issue with his Catholic background and if he is running third I could see him reminding conservatives about Obey’s Taliban comment in his first run for Governor. It will alos be interesting to see how Rauchy and Birket are used to blunt the attacks of Brady and Oberwise. I would say that Judy will attack the others running on the grounds that she is the “lectable one” with so many state wide campaigns under her belt and will emphasis that we can’t risk sending the wrong candidate with such a great opportunity to take back the Govervor’s office. As a side note many many conservatives that were worried with a second Bush presidency suspended their worry and opted for Bush instead of other conservatives running after having 8 years of Clinton. Attacks aside we might see Judy survive. Is 4 years of a Dem in the Gov office enough fatigue for lots of grassroots Republicans to bite their tounge with a center left candidate like Judy? If the attacks seem to harm Judy in the polls I would say that the fatigue factor has not set in. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 5:35 am: The only topic will be who can beat Blagojevich. The candidate who convinces voters that they are best able to beat Blago will win. - Shallow Pharnyx - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 6:12 am: triplemstrategies is right about the abortion issue. That is how the GOP will further divide themselves. Obe & Rausch will try to appeal to conservative repubs by making this one of their major issues. Also, the Treasurer’s Office investigation and the write-off of millions for the old Renaissance hotel. Topinka will counter with Obe’s immigrant stance (to northern audiences) and family riches. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 6:18 am: Did 4:57 really write the word ABORTION? That’s all that counts? Eek. The candidate that does the best job in candidly answering questions about the influence special interests will have in their administration will be in better shape. The Abramoff thing in DC will be an open sore during the entire campaign. And no it is not going to affect only Republicans. Sorry, Rod. - The Conservative - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 6:21 am: I agree with the first comments, with exception. I am a conservative, very much involved in the party local politics and the Pro-Life board and Activist. I have always been pragmatic and not one to cut off my nose, however this time I cannot support Judy and will take a pass in the general, should that happen. She is just to out spoken and supportive of a life style that I cannot support (meaning liberal which takes in all of the package).She cannot be worked with and is a true believer of the left. Not even with the threat of four more years. I think that there are a lot of us that will not compromise on this. All that being said, Brady takes it in a close race if he becomes aggressive and stands on his beliefs. Obei talks the talk but dosen’t walk it and I think the conservatives see through him. There will not be a crossover vote and a lot of apathy, so it really comes down to the base… where will they go and who can get the vote out. - The Broken Heart - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 7:27 am: G-Rod helping the milkman? - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 7:27 am: “The Conservative” How liberal. - Ex-Newfie - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 7:35 am: While I think the issues expressed above are certainly going to be a factor, the economy in this state is definitely a prime concern. The only people making it are Friends of Rod in big business. Once he has left the Illiois political field (and hopefully does not get into any other), he will have left fiscal carnage behind. Lots of “iniatives” and no way to fund them, but it looks good in the campaign literature. Therefore someone with some fiscal responsibility and personal substance would be at the forefront for the thinking majority. - The Conservative - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 7:36 am: Not sure what you are saying. But she is more liberal than I can vote for. No compromise this time. There is no up side to supporting her. She is a nice person, have met her several times and have friends on her staff, likable but I cannot justify a vote for her and will recomend so to friends and like minded. - 6 Degrees of Separation - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 7:53 am: I wonder if any of the above posts, or any of the posts that are sure to come later, came from “Blagojevich for Governor”. If so, I hope they are smart enough to post from somewhere other than the campaign office. That aside, the issue *should* be the current governor and the candidates’ suitability to improve the governorship of the state (as it should be in any race with a sitting officeholder with a record). However, I have a feeling that this race will be filled with all kinds of ancillary issues that have little to do with the above question. - AngryJolietan - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 8:16 am: Ron Gidwitz’s ownership interest in the troubled Evergreen Terrace Housing Project. - ron - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 8:30 am: brady on how corrupt the blagojevich administration has been the last three years. the more people hear about it the more they will realize the corruption is real. - SalukiDog - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 8:46 am: The issue: Blago Who: JBT Why: Because he is the issue. She will stay on message, which she knows will carry the day. The others are going to waste their time slamming her which is a lost cause. - Beowulf - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 9:10 am: I am in agreement with Angry Jolietan. The Evergreen Terrace Housing Project will be brought up constantly by opponent’s of Gidwitz. Look for Ron Gidwitz to present “His side of the story” regarding this crime-ridden housing complex in downtown Joliet. The Mayor of Joliet and his city administrator have (unfortunately for Gidwitz) targeted Ron Gidwitz and painted him as “the bad guy” although his ownership in this housing complex represents only 2/10ths of one percent. The Joliet officials felt that by dragging the name of Ron Gidwitz through the mud in the Will County media, Gidwitz would have to use his considerable influence with the other investors so that they would sell this “Cabrini Green” in Joliet to the city of Joliet very cheaply just so it would not hurt Gidwitz’s gubernatorial chances. Will County has a population of over 630,000 people so Gidwitz must confront these charges against him or he will get very few votes from the 4th most populated county in Illinois. A Gidwitz family member is involved in the management of this apartment complex so Joliet administration officials will use the Gidwitz name as the political lightening rod that they need with HUD to justify the condemnation of these apartments through the law of eminent domain and take over this property for pennies on the dollar of it’s true value. These apartments lie across the river from the gambling casino interests in Joliet that would love to level these apartments. The City of Joliet is a lap dog to the wishes of the casinos because they generate so much income for the City of Joliet. It is a done deal. The City of Joliet wishes to eliminate this low income federally subsidized apartment complex and to replace it with upscale condos. The City of Joliet does not seem to have a definitive plan nor does it seem to care about what happens to the poor African-American people that live there who will be displaced. These people are not all drug dealers but rather are good but poor people that life has dealt a “bad hand of cards” and who love their kids and are struggling just to survive. That is the real tragedy that is taking place at Evergreen Terrace Apartments. These people are the innocent victims that have been swept up in this political feud between Gidwitz and the other investors and the City of Joliet administration that is trying to please the gambling interests in Joliet. As is usually the case in most political confrontations, the “real root of this controversy” involves money and it is not about what is morally, legally, or ethically right or wrong. - respectful - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 9:26 am: Gidwitz will become a target only if and when he becomes competitive in the polls. It’s frontrunners who become the targets. - Bubs - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 10:04 am: Conservative: Anyone who would not vote because the “don’t like” any of the candidates is not only talking sour grapes, but an idiot to boot. - Nearly Normal - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 10:19 am: Ethics, ethics, ethics. The candidates will be banging each other over the head with that issue. Whether it be about business dealings or political dealings, watch ‘em try to tar each other with the G-Rod or G-Ryan brush. - Lovie's Leather - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 11:01 am: Come on!!! If anyone brings up the abortion issue, it will be Obee. He has a record of saying wierd things at the wrong time. Abortion won’t be an issue, but if it is, look forward to a democrat winning the race. Corruption will probably be the biggest issue played up. JBT might have a problem in that realm because of her ties to George Ryan. But she is still probably the winner. - Pat collins - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 11:07 am: Corruption will probably be the biggest issue played up. JBT might have a problem in that realm Wow, 2006 is only 4 days old and the understatement of the year is in! THE issue will, of course, be immigration. A huge fight is brewing in Congress right now. If Oberwiese ignores the press and stands firm on this issue, he rides it to Springfield. - Truthful James - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 11:26 am: Each of the Republicans has a problem — Gidwitz for his feckless tenure at ISBE as the State put the inmates (teachers) in charge of the system and they ran away with the money; Topinka because that is Slovak for Kjellander; etc. They should be yelping about saving the State from being Rodded again. The governor has never seen an issue he wouldn’t have our children pay for. - Anon. - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 11:34 am: Well, they will attempt to make Rod the issue. But they need to distinguish themselves. Look for Oberweis to try to lump JBT in with the “Springfield” crowd - and posit himself as the reformer. But ther will be another, distinguishing issue: Illegal immigration. Oberweis was either prescient or the proverbial “blind squirrel finding a nut” with this one — only a little early — in 2004. Sure, abortion will be an issue (when isn’t it?). But the GOP has given strong indication nationally that illegal immigration will be the gay marriage of 2006. Notice that when any program passes through the State House doesn’t specifically exclude immigrants - the talking points here and elsewhere explode with comments about [insert program here] which will [insert benefit here] for illegal aliens. Good times. - Anon. - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 11:36 am: Pat Collins, I didn’t read your post. Apologies for the retread. - LittleEgypt - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 11:36 am: I don’t give a rats behind who talks about what just as long as we don’t get Blago again. Disclaimer: I am not posting from a Blago campaign or office computer. - triplemstrategies - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 12:10 pm: Try reading the question…….. What do you think the first major issue will be in the Republican gubernatorial primary? Most of your comments are already looking foward to what the issues will be in the general election. Republican already know about corruption. The issues in the Republican primary will be issues where the candidates are positioning themselves against each other to secure enough party base to win March 21st. - The Conservative - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 12:36 pm: Hey Burbs… No idiot… very loyal Christian Conservative Republican, I have never missed an election, even in the service. However I will no longer vote for a person just because of the label. If they want my vote they must have some decent record to vote for. No longer just because they say they are Republican and their running mate is conservative will that work. I have seen it far to often after the election, the conservatives are forgotten. This year the buck stops. You want out work, our support and our data bases, better come to the table and keep your word. Enough dry spells and the right candidate will come forward. Fed up with degenerate Liberal liars. When you do not support Christian values, you cannot carry His flag. - Pat collins - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 12:44 pm: Pat Collins, I didn’t read your post No problem! I forgot something above: Why is it CONSERVATIVES that need to hold their nose and vote for JBT? When will the Republican half of the combine ever hold ITS nose and vote conservative?? - Mike's Used Sport's Section - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 12:49 pm: The Stroger-Claypool and the congressional primary races will dominate the airwaves in Chicago and suck a lot of attention away from the very boring Governor’s GOP primary race, benefiting Topinka. Obie will throw a lot of nasty dirt at Judy, but he’s already been designated as Pralines N’Cream(very nutty) by many voters. His lack of credibility will diminish the effectiveness of all his messages, no matter how loudly he screams. - Cassandra - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 12:54 pm: I suppose that in the Repub primary, immigration could be an issue, but I believe that Americans as a whole are about evenly divided on many issues relating to immigration (we are all children of immigrants, after all) and a violently anti-immigration stance could really hurt in the general. Why do we think Blago is implementing so many programs which will heavily if not mostly benefit recent immigrants, illegal or not, including low-cost housing, Allkids, and so forth. He has the luxury of going for the recent immigrant vote now, and doesn’t have to wait until the primary is over. JBT, alas, will probably have to tiptoe around on the issue until the primary because of Oberweis’ stance and her generally shaky standing with conservative Repubs. - Anon. - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 1:03 pm: Cassandra, The nation as whole may be evenly divided on immigration — but it’s a fair bet that IL GOP primary voters are not. Might it be a stumbler in the general? Only time will tell. But the General Election can employ the same slogan as the Illinois State Lottery used to - “if you’re gonna win it - you’ve got to get in it…” Oberweis (my not-so-bold prediction as the frontrunner to be the “anti-Judy”), and everyone else, for that matter, has got to get past JBT to even think about the GE. Thus - the Nixonian strategy of running right in the primary, running to the middle for the general. - Pat Collins - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 1:54 pm: Stroger-Claypool and the congressional primary races will dominate the airwaves in Chicago and suck a lot of attention away from the very boring Governor’s GOP primary race, benefiting Topinka. I agree the DEM primary will be on the news a lot. I disagree that this helps JBT. I think it HURTS her since with a dull primary some DEM voters who don’t like Gun Ban Rod would have pulled a R ballot, and voted for her. The hotter the DEM primary the worse it is for JBT. - Two percent - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 2:03 pm: Oberweis won’t win if he’s going to run as a reformer and staff people who worked for George Ryan and were just recently on the stand. Immigration won’t be an issue either, sorry, but it won’t. Try again. - Anon. - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 3:21 pm: Well, all seeing and knowing two percent. What will the issue be? You’re awfully smug for someone with no answers. - The Colonel - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 3:49 pm: Corruption, Corruption, Corruption (AKA: Pay-to-play AKA: Business as Usual AKA: Bi-Partisan Combine)… and mouthing certain principles at election time, and ignoring them afterward. - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 3:53 pm: It will be a quiet primary. Everyone wants to win with a united front in November. The only issue that will come up will be abortion which no Republican wants to discuss, so it might die quietly. In desperation Obie might go for it, but he is already being actively ignored, so it will not do anything positive for his campaign. Illinois Republicans want to win with Judy, so they are disinterested in arguing about her. - Bubs - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 4:58 pm: Vanilla Man is on target, as usual. - FATKAT - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 5:41 pm: IF I WERE RUNNING FOR GOV. I THINK THE ONLY ISSUE IN THIS RACE IS HOW THIS GOV.BEEN A SUB MAYOR OF CHICAGO. HE ONLY COMES SOUTH WHEN HE IS IN NEED OF A SENIC PRESS RELEASE. OF COURSE I KNOW THAT ALL THE VOTES SOUTH OF I64 DO NOT AMOUNT TO A GOOD WARD IN CHICAGO YOU WOULD THINK THAT SOME OF THE SMALL COUNTIES THAT HAVE VOTED DEMO. SINCE THE CIVIL WAR WOULD HAVE AT LEAST GOT A VISIT ON OCCASION.THE CORRUPTION IS KEY IN THIS ELECTION!!! - ExileOnMainStreet - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 6:17 pm: Will an issue that will stick even come up in the GOP primary? Corruption, broken promises and buy-now pay-later social programs surely open Blago up for attack in the general, but is there any one of the GOP candidates that can make an issue stick on the others? If not, the GOP primary will become a contest of charm, charisma, and media (paid and free) savvy. JBT has the edge in that scenrio. Question: Is there no hope for Brady to break from the pack on either an issue(s) or with charisma? - Jenny Kustra - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 7:37 pm: The Cook County Republican Convention on Jan. 13th will be the first time ALL the gubernatorial candidates will be together. I would ask them ALL to take the ethics pledge and not go negative. I think it would be interesting to see their reaction. - Captplaid - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 8:14 pm: First, let me say this is my first post and IAM NOT FROM THE BLAG FOR GOV CAMPAIGN! If I was Topinka, I would focus on Blago from the start and virtually ignore the rest of the field. I would remind everyone of Blago promise to “end politics as ussual”. Every negative ad would end with Blago’s promise to end politics as ussual. Start soft. I would remind people who Blago wanted prisoners to do marketing research. DIdn’t Blago have a campaign which he wanted departments to weekly remind people how the governor is “helping” us? Politics as ussual? There is always the family dump probelm. Politics as ussual? Raid the teachers pention plan? Politics as ussual? The governor is an extention of the Chicago mayor’s office? Politics as ussual! Topika could ignore the others and foucs hard on the governor. People will remenber who is aggresively focused. - Norseman - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 8:17 pm: “Why is it CONSERVATIVES that need to hold their nose and vote for JBT? When will the Republican half of the combine ever hold ITS nose and vote conservative??” I find the above comment to be interesting and indicative of the mindset of the right wing extremists. They don’t care about the Republican party, they care about getting their way regardless of the implications - including keeping Democrats in power. This is one Republican who has worked, capaigned and voted for many conservative REPUBLICANS. I refuse to vote for any extremists who would rather the party go down in defeat than support a more moderate standard bearer. Do us all a favor and stop calling yourselves Republicans. - Captplaid - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 8:23 pm: Governoring by press release… Blago is an idiot. Where does this guy come from? First the Gov want the state to provide health insurance for all children. It is a noble position. Now I read a couple of weeks ago there is not enough money for the state to pay its current workmens compensation until OCTOBER. How can we afford to pay for additional health costs when the state turns its back on employees that were injured on the job? Seems to me if a business took this position on its employees, Lisa Madigan would be all over it and in the press. If I was a candidate, I would always look for ways to remind voters that the Gov manages the state by press release. - Captplaid - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 8:30 pm: The Gov “donated” 2.5 million EXPIRED vacines for last years flu virus to Pakistan today. This is after the SOuth African government turned it down as unsafe. DOes this place Illinois in any kind of liability? What if someone were to have a bad reaction to this EXPIRED vacine? - LittleEgypt - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 10:49 pm: Hey Fatkat, don’t sell those of us south of I-64 short. We may have been born at night - but it wasn’t last night. The sleeping giant of southern Illinois is awake for the next election. - The Conservative - Wednesday, Jan 4, 06 @ 11:34 pm: NORSMAN….. Wake up we are the Republican party. The fat bloated Republicans of old are history. The Rockefellers and East and West coast Liberal Republicans cannot win without the Christian Conservative base. You just don’t get it Liberal Republicans. We care about the cause not the label. We are the real Republicans. We do not care about our or your pocketbook. It is the Rino’s that need to change. Far to long we have held our noses and supported the Liberal Republicans and have been taken for granted, you better get scared, we are wakeing up all over the country and your time is ending. The Thompson,s and Edgars we will no longer support at all costs. If you want our loyalty and work… deal us in at the table and get used to it. - SouthernILRepub - Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 12:40 am: Milkman fires the first shot at JBT (or) Gidwitz/Rauschy strike the first blow at JBT. Whomever it is, JBT will look like a government mule after either of those get done attacking her. The issues will play in central or southern IL because they will decide the Republican primary. Abortion and guns will rule the day because they are trying to split the differences on the Conservative Right. Brady sits back and builds his name id and likely wins the primary. The true test will come after the primary to see if the boys in “DC” will come through with the $5-10 mil that had been promised to JBT in order for her to run in the first place. JBT takes her marching orders from Rove and associates. What is unfortunate is that Washington will not likely offer the same deal to Gidwitz, Brady, or the Milkman. It is my belief that many of the suburban voters will stay home on 3/21. - Lovie's Leather - Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 1:55 am: Hey, The Conservative, I am proud to say that the fat bloaded Republicans are still around (myself being one). And the real republicans aren’t the christian conservatives. In fact, the christian conservatives are the first group that will run from the party when a social moderate Republican is the candidate. You are SO convicted, that you will vote for a 3rd party pro-lifer and give the election to a far left lib instead of a centrist Republican. You are the all or nothing crowd of the party, holding down mainstreet Republicans with your “convictions.” And unfortunately, Christian Conservatives attempt at narrowing the base of the party is succeeding. The base needs to be broadened, we need compromise. But the hardcore conservatives won’t compromise, they will be the door to liberalism, unknowingly so. Nixon knew how it worked, why don’t you? - The Conservative - Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 8:10 am: Lovie’s leather… I think you have me confussed… I do not support 3rd party. I have been active all my life with the Republican party and can name some impressive names that I have worked for. What I am saying you had better take a look in the mirror. The JBT’s of today are not going to be tolorated just to say a so called Republican was elected. It does the party no good. If you want to expand the party then the party needs to stand on real beliefs and principles. When it does ie GWB, the party grows. Where we don’t take principled stands we are weak. We do not care that you do not like us, just try and win without us. Enough of us are working in leadership positions within the party and we will bring more in as we replace you. You cannot stop the majority in this nation. As more and more Christians become upset with the attacks on christianity and get involved, with that come social change. One cannot vote what they do not believe. Politics and beliefs go hand in hand. You say we are the first to leave… We demand from our represenatives what we demand of ourselves. None are perfect and we all fail as humans, that said do not lie to us, that we resent.Thus ends the sermon to liberal Republicans. Now let’s go elect a good Republican Governor, Brady someone we all can support. - Beowulf - Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 8:55 am: The first major issue of the primary will be the similarities between Blagojevich and Judy Barr Topinka. Gidwitz & Oberweiss will both hit this fact head on. Brady’s strategy will be to seem as though he is a “GOP team player”. That will cost him plenty. The Illinois GOP is really no longer a single political Party. Just like in our country’s Civil War, the Illinois GOP has separated into two diverse factions. The Illinois GOP “moderate” faction might just as well hang the label “liberal” faction around their neck because that is how the conservatives perceive them. What percentage of the Illinois GOP is made up of this conservative branch? I am not sure but it is a large enough percentage that either Brady or Oberweis is going to rock the socks off of those predicting an easy Judy Barr Topinka victory. There are enough conservative GOP that view her as being the twin sister of Kjellander and Blago that they would stay away from the general election in November rather than vote for her, especially in the unlikely event that Eisendrath winds up being the Democrat candidate in November. As a GOP conservative, I am more enthused about the outcome of the Eisendrath/Blago outcome in the Democrat primary than I am in the GOP primary which we in the Illinois GOP have been assured by Andy McKenna that it will be JBT. That sad statement says it all. - The Conservative - Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 9:00 am: Beowulf: Whe you are right you are right. - stevendmo - Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 10:44 am: Is it just me, or does the primary season for the gubernatorial race seem particularly short this year? Maybe it’s because I’m in southern Illinois, where candidates usually spend relatively few of their advertising dollars (due to the inefficiency inherent in buying time in the St. Louis TV market), but I’ve yet to see a single TV ad for a GOP contender, and I saw my first yard sign only two days ago while driving north on I-55 toward Springfield. I grew up in Michigan, which has an August primary for state races, and hence fairly well-developed primary fights — albeit a shorter run up to the general election. Though I’ve been down here 15 years I still can’t get used to how truncated the primary races are in Illinois. As a political junkie, I kinda…um…(don’t hate me for saying this) actually miss having more time to focus on the intra-party warfare. - FATKAT - Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 8:38 pm: HEY LITTLE EGYPT,I WILL BE THERE AND IF WE EVER NEEDED TO UNITE IN THE SOUTH ITS NOW!!! - Norseman - Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 9:32 pm: Hey Mr. Conservative, are we winning in Illinois? I live here, and your extremists views are not electing statewide officers. - The Conservative - Thursday, Jan 5, 06 @ 11:26 pm: Norsman…better get used to it, and I surly do not think I am extremeist. I am far from that. However I am not a prostitute either. Have held my nose far to long. The Topinkas of the world do not want our support any way. We are not leaving the party just picking the real Republicans and letting you liberals work hard to elect what you want. Let me know how that works out for you. If you notice you call me an extremist, all I did was say you are a liberal. HMMM must suck to be a liberal. - anon - Friday, Jan 6, 06 @ 4:20 pm: The Conservative I would not based your success on the likes of GWB. He is a fascist. - The Conservative - Saturday, Jan 7, 06 @ 11:52 pm: Hey Anon: I think GW is one of the greates Presidents in history. I can understand why you commiecrats fear him so. Hard to remain objective when you are so hate filled. GW is a good God fearing man and a great leader. - the wonderboy - Sunday, Jan 8, 06 @ 4:29 am: This is directed at The Conservative, but I would love to see comments from others as well… Your comments above regarding the Republican Party and its core are not only disturbing, but also not actually supported by the numbers. I would rather not debate such issues, but the reality is that many people throughout the country who consider themselves to be conservative and Republican do not hold to traditional “Christian” values or eclusively conservative social views. That being said, I agree that the Republican party of Illinois needs to trun away from JBT if we want to win in November. The reality is that Brady has the best chance to win based upon his credentials and positions on the real issues…economy, taxes, education, etc. And yes, I said REAL issues…the role of the government is first and foremost to deal with issues of governance, not morality, and as such the primary questions of electoral politics should deal with governance. Once a candidate has the right ideas in those areas, then one can evaluate the social issues which are also important. Once again, Brady comes out ahead under such an evaluation. The one thing which I wish you would clarify is the following statement which you wrote above: “When you do not support Christian values, you cannot carry His flag.” What does that mean? If a candidate is not a conservative Christian you won’t vote for them? And what flag are you referring to? Please forgive me if my understanding is wrong, but I take it to mean that you see conservative Christian politicians as carrying the flag of Christ and I am really not sure where you get this position biblically. Please show me where you see in scripture that government is a playground for religion…maybe I misread that whole Caesar/God distinction. Let’s try to focus on the issues that matter to all citizens of Illinois. Are my children receiving a quality education? Will the job market grow? What will happen to my taxes after November? These are the questions we should ask the candidates and expect promises regarding. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.